The Allene Baus collection, 1989-1995, is comprised of materials taken from two of Baus' albums. It includes documents related to the Orlando chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), which Baus established in 1988. It also contains captioned and uncaptioned photographs, newspapers, programs, and a ribbon related to PFLAG activities. Allene Baus was born on August 10, 1934. She was an activist in the Central Florida region who established the first Florida chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) in Orlando. According to the LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida, Baus was inspired to start the Orlando chapter of PFLAG after attending the 1987 March on Washington. Baus returned and wrote to Adele Starr of the national PFLAG chapter, who sent Baus information on starting a chapter. After writing articles for gay and lesbian publications to advertise, Baus was able to begin holding meetings in her home in starting in April 1988. After starting the chapter, Baus continued her activism by attending LGBT rights events. Allene Baus passed away on February 10, 2022.
The Bob Graves collection, 1977-2008, documents Graves' personal and business activities. It contains event programs, advertisements, magazines, informational booklets, photographs, event listings, and other miscellaneous documents related to events either held at or supported by the Full Moon Saloon. The collection includes VHS tapes documenting various LGBTQ+ events and historically LGBTQ+ locations across Central Florida. Much of the collection dates from 1991 to 2006. Robert "Bob" Graves was the owner and operator of the Full Moon Saloon on Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando. The Full Moon Saloon, a popular gay bar, opened in 1989, serving the Levi's, leather, and bear communities in Central Florida for more than a decade. It was the home bar for the non-profit social organization, Bears of Central Florida, and hosted Bear Bust, an annual event held in October. The Full Moon Saloon closed on June 30, 2007.
The John T. Washington collection, 1957-1980, documents UCF professor John T. Washington's life outside of his affiliation with UCF and his legacy. It chiefly consists of church sermons and materials, photographs, programs, minutes, agendas, and awards relating to John T. Washington's community service and role as a pastor as well as the scholarship award and honor society established in his name after his death. The collection provides insight into John T. Washington's life as the founder and pastor of the First Church of Peace and the efforts to maintain his legacy after his death with the John T. Washington Community Service Awards and Scholarship and the John T. Washington Honor Society. John Thomas Washington was born in 1940 in Immokalee, Florida. He was an associate professor of sociology at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and one of UCF's first Black faculty members. Washington worked to promote diversity at UCF, serving as one of the first advisors for the Black Student Union as well as other student organizations. He also aided in developing UCF's Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action and the Office of Multicultural Academic and Support Services. Before his time at UCF, Washington served as an airman in the United States Air Force from 1962-1964. He went on to earn his bachelor's and master's degrees at Rollins College and his Ph.D. at the University of Florida. In addition to his work at UCF, Washington founded the First Church of Peace in Orlando and served as the church's pastor. Washington died in 1983 at the age of 42 from a sudden heart attack. Following his death, the Student Services Building was renamed the John T. Washington Center in 1984. The John T. Washington Community Service Awards & Scholarship were also founded in his honor. In 1996, the John T. Washington Honor Society was established to uphold Washington's values of public service.
The Marilyn Crotty papers, 1972-2018 (bulk 1976-1978), chiefly consist of news clippings, correspondence, reports, organizational records, and publications collected by Marilyn Crotty during her involvement with the Florida Governor's Commission on the Status of Women (COSOW). This collection documents the commission's organizational history and its efforts toward the betterment of women in the Central Florida area. The collection offers a glimpse into second-wave feminist activism in Florida and strategies in the 1970s to promote the feminist movement and gain support. Marilyn Ettinger Crotty is a Florida educator, activist, and civic leader whose career included work in public service, local government, and higher education. She served on the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, the Florida Environmental Efficiency Study Commission, and the Florida Governor's Commission on the Status of Women (COSOW). In 1982, she established Valencia Community College's Center for Community Leadership, a state-funded institute that provided training programs for local government employees and elected officials. In 1990, the University of Central Florida hired her to direct the John Scott Dailey Institute of Government, a position she held until her retirement in 2018.
Mary Monroe was a theatre student at FTU in the 1970s. Her collection of photographs, news clippings, and programs document the theatre performances during that time.
The Orlando Gay Chorus collection, 1990-2018, contains articles, awards, membership files, newspapers, photographs, posters, and programs pertaining to the Orlando Gay Chorus, a non-profit organization and one of the largest mixed LGBTQ choruses in the United States. There are also similar materials pertaining to the Gala Chorus, an organization the Orlando Gay Chorus is a member of. The collection also includes audio cassettes, books, CDs, ephemeras, maps, and pamphlets. The Orlando Gay Chorus was founded on February 14, 1990. As of 2023, the organization has over one hundred members. In addition to the full choruses, it has four ensembles that perform at annual events, cabarets, community, and pride events. The chorus also contributes to many humanitarian efforts. Each November, the Orlando Gay Chorus partners with the Children's Home Society of Florida to sponsor families in need for Thanksgiving Day meal baskets. US Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots is the longest campaign hosted by the Orlando Gay Chorus in Central Florida. The organization gifts toys and a monetary donation to the marines each year during their holiday concerts. Over time the chorus has received several awards, such as the Lifetime Achievement Award, for their thirty plus years of service. After a brief hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Orlando Gay Chorus resumed activities and continue to perform today.
University of Central Florida. Department of Theatre
Abstract Or Scope
The Orlando Shakespeare Theater Collection contains playbills, programs, reviews, newspaper clippings, films, cassettes, reels, and schedules. It also includes items relating to the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival Partnership (OSF) such as Simply Shakespeare, Central Florida's first Shakespearean troupe, and the UCF Shakespeare Summer Institute as well as the NEH grant funded faculty study project "Hamlet: Exploring the Renaissance Mind in Action" which was presented in the Summer 1991.
The Spectrum Awards Records, 1994-2012, contains information relating to the Spectrum Awards, an LGBT+ community service award created by the Gay and Lesbian Community Services of Central Florida, Inc. in 1994. The collection is comprised of event programs, tickets, scripts, documentation of nominees and finalists, and other information relating to planning, as well as memorabilia and photographs.
